PICKENS, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The South Carolina Department of Transportation said they have determined more about what caused a bridge collapse in Pickens County.
The bridge over Lake Keowee on Crowe Creek Road near Newton Road collapsed on Monday.
The Shady Grove Fire Department responded to the scene around 1:40 p.m., and they confirmed no one was hurt.
The bridge was load restricted, which prohibits heavy trucks and vehicles from crossing.
SCDOT said in working with law enforcement partners, they determined a truck weighing more than the restricted weight limit caused the collapse.
The investigation is ongoing.
In the wake of a Pickens County bridge collapse, several witnesses reflected on the incident.
“I could see both sides of the bridge was gone, the guardrail was gone and everything,” said a witness Sean Brinson.
“My wife heard it and came out on the dock. We were on the dock, just around the coroner here and she said the bridge was down,” said witness David Scott.
Witnesses told FOX Carolina they were concerned about the integrity of the bridge prior to its collapse.
“It looks sketchy to be frank about it. It was shocking, particularly having just crossed over it,” said Scott.
“Definitely alarming,” said Brinson.
Brinson said he uses the bridge everyday for his construction work. He recounted how he had driven across the bridge about 30 minutes before it collapsed. He said he was on his way back over it again moments after it’s failure.
“A little bit sooner and we would have been swimming, I guess,” said Brinson.
SCDOT said the bridge was built in 1969. They report the bridge has been on their priority list to be replaced since 2021.
SCDOT reports the bridge was inspected in April 2025, where it scored just a 5 out of 9 rating.
SCDOT also confirmed the bridge was serving as a detour for the current SC-183 bridge replacements at the time of its collapse.
SCDOT reports it is installing a detour and is working to determine the extent of the damage, along with creating a plan to replace the bridge.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol said the following detours have been set up around the bridge:
On Wednesday, SCDOT announced plans to expedite the emergency bridge replacement. The design of the bridge, which was already scheduled for replacement this year, is being finalized.
SCDOT said construction will last until early 2026.
Stay with FOX Carolina as we work to learn more.